Chapters XII–XVII

Summary: Chapter XII

A fight breaks out as Hawkeye and the Mohicans attack
the Hurons, whose rifles have been set aside. In the battle, Uncas
saves Cora and Chingachgook becomes locked in hand-to-hand combat with
Magua, who escapes only by feigning his own death. Hawkeye and the
Mohicans soundly defeat the remaining Hurons and free the prisoners.
Chingachgook scalps the dead victims, while Heyward and Uncas ensure
the well-being of Cora and Alice. After Hawkeye releases Gamut,
they argue about the efficacy of prayer-song. Hawkeye cites the
pragmatic necessities of battle to urge the psalmodist to abandon
the useless weapon of the pitch pipe. Resisting Hawkeye’s logic,
Gamut responds by citing the religious doctrine of predetermination
and singing another song. Ignoring the performance, Hawkeye reloads
his rifle, and the group begins to travel northward toward Fort
William Henry. Hawkeye explains that with the brilliant aid of Uncas
he and Chingachgook succeeded in tracking the Hurons for twenty
miles.

Summary: Chapter XIII

The party travels to a ruined blockhouse where Chingachgook
and Hawkeye won a battle many years before. The memorial site spurs Hawkeye
to describe the Mohicans as the last of their tribe. The group,
with the exception of Chingachgook, sleeps until nightfall, when
sounds of nearby enemies cause alarm. The sounds they hear are made
by the Hurons, who have lost their way. Two Indians approach, but
their respect for the memorial site keeps them away. After the Hurons
depart, the group continues toward the fort.

Summary: Chapter XIV

The group treads barefoot through a stream in order to
hide its tracks. They pass a pond, and Hawkeye tells
the group it is filled with corpses of slain French soldiers. As
they near the besieged Fort William Henry, they encounter a French
sentinel. Heyward talks to him in French, distracting him while
Chingachgook sneaks up to the sentinel, kills him, and scalps him.
Firing breaks out between English troops protecting the fort and
French forces, and the crossfire puts the party in danger. Thick
fog conceals them, however, and they attempt to find their way to
the fort through the sounds of battle. The French forces pursue
them, but they arrive at the fort safely. As they enter the fort,
Colonel Munro weeps and embraces his daughters.

Summary: Chapter XV

Five days into the siege of Fort William Henry, Heyward
discovers that the French have captured Hawkeye. Inside the fort,
Heyward sees Alice, who teases him for not seeing her and her sister
enough, and Cora, who seems distressed. Though the French forces
eventually release Hawkeye, the French leader Montcalm keeps the
letter that Hawkeye carried from General Webb. Montcalm requests
a meeting with Munro, but Munro sends Heyward in his place. The French
general urges Major Heyward to surrender, reminding him that France’s
bloodthirsty Indian allies are difficult to hold in check.

Summary: Chapter XVI

Heyward goes to find Munro, planning to report Montcalm’s
message that the English should surrender. He finds Munro idling
with his daughters. To Heyward’s surprise, Munro seems uninterested
in Montcalm’s proposal. He accuses Heyward of racism for preferring Alice
to Cora. Munro reveals that Cora and Alice have different mothers.
Cora’s mother, Munro’s first wife, was from the West Indies and
was part “Negro.” When Munro’s first wife died, he returned to Scotland
and married his childhood sweetheart. Heyward heartily denies that
he thinks less of Cora because of her mixed race, but silently he
admits his racism. Munro and Heyward return to the French encampment
to meet with Montcalm, who hands over Webb’s letter advising Munro
to surrender the fort to the French. Montcalm tells Munro that if
the English surrender, they will get to keep their arms, baggage,
and colors, and the French will ensure that the Indians do not attack
them. Munro accepts the offer and leaves Heyward to finalize the
details.

Summary: Chapter XVII

After dawn, the English slowly file out of the fort, surrounded
by columns of solemn French soldiers and leering Indians. One of
the Indians tries to take a shawl from an Englishwoman as she passes by.
When she pulls the shawl away from him, he seizes her baby and smashes
it against the rocks. Then he sinks his tomahawk into the mother’s
skull. Magua begins yelling the frenzied Indian war whoop, and the
Indians attack the English, slaughtering them and drinking their
blood. Munro storms through the battle to find Montcalm,
ignoring even Alice’s cries for help. Magua sees Alice fainting
and hurries away with her. Cora chases after him, followed by Gamut,
who has been singing throughout the battle in order to confuse the
Indians and keep them away from the young women. As the battle abates,
the Indians begin looting the bodies of their victims.